Method and apparatus for verification of a telephone number

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for verification of a mobile telephone number. The method comprises: storing a mobile telephone number and a corresponding mobile subscriber identity number; receiving a request for verification of the mobile telephone number; sending, in response to the request, an IMSI query requesting a mobile subscriber identity number registered in association with the mobile telephone number in an HLR; receiving, in response to the IMSI query, the mobile subscriber identity number associated with the mobile telephone number in the HLR; comparing the stored mobile subscriber identity number and the received mobile subscriber identity number, and, if the comparison shows that the received mobile subscriber identity number corresponds to the stored mobile subscriber identity number; initiating the performance of the messaging-or-positioning service in relation to the mobile telephone number.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/255,399, filed Sep. 8, 2011, which is a 35 U.S.C. §371 National PhaseEntry Application from PCT/SE2009/050897, filed Jul. 14, 2009,designating the United States. The disclosures of each of theabove-identified applications are incorporated herein in their entiretyby reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to the field of mobile radio communication, and inparticular to improvements of security of services utilizing suchcommunication.

BACKGROUND

The great market penetration of mobile communication devices in mostparts of the world has attracted many industries to provide services bymeans of mobile radio communications systems. One example is the bankingindustry, where some banks offer their customers the possibility ofreceiving information via the Short Message Service (SMS). In thebanking industry, as well as in other industries handling informationwhich may be sensitive, privacy and secrecy of information is often ofhigh concern. Although highly convenient, the transmission ofinformation via SMS is generally not entirely secure. Many supporters ofSMS based services claim that while SMS banking is not as secure asother conventional banking channels, SMS banking is not intended to beused for very high-risk transactions. However, there is still a desireto improve the security of the delivery of SMS banking and otherservices utilizing mobile radio communications systems.

SUMMARY

A problem to which the invention relates is how to improve the securityof third party services utilizing messaging-or-positioning servicesprovided through a mobile radio communications network.

The invention relates to a method for verification of a mobile telephonenumber in order to determine whether a messaging-or-positioning servicein a mobile radio communications system should be performed in relationto the mobile telephone number. The method comprises: storing a mobiletelephone number and a corresponding mobile subscriber identity numberin a database of a verification apparatus; receiving, in theverification apparatus, a request for verification of the mobiletelephone number; sending, from the verification apparatus in responseto the verification request, an IMSI query requesting a mobilesubscriber identity number registered in association with the mobiletelephone number in a home location register; receiving, in theverification apparatus, the mobile subscriber identity number associatedwith the mobile telephone number in the home location register;comparing, in the verification apparatus, the stored mobile subscriberidentity number and the received mobile subscriber identity number; and,if the comparison shows that the received mobile subscriber identitynumber corresponds to the stored mobile subscriber identity number:initiating the performance of the messaging-or-positioning service inrelation to the mobile telephone number.

Hereby is achieved that it can be detected if the mobile subscription towhich a mobile telephone number is associated has changed between thetime of storing the mobile telephone number and the time of initiating amessaging-or-positioning service in relation to the mobile telephonenumber. The performance of a messaging-or-positioning service could bemade conditional on the result of the verification of the mobiletelephone number.

The home location register mentioned in this application should not onlybe interpreted as being a home location register as specified within GSM(Global System for Mobile Communications), but a server comprising thefunctionality corresponding to the home location register as specifiedin the detailed description independently of how it is termed in aparticular telecommunications network. One example of an alternativeterm is HSS (Home Subscriber Server) as specified in IMS (InternetProtocol Multimedia Subsystem).

The storing may comprise: receiving, in the verification apparatus, arequest for registering of a mobile telephone number; sending, from theverification apparatus in response to the request for registering amobile telephone number, a first IMSI query requesting a mobilesubscriber identity number registered in association with the mobiletelephone number in a home location register; receiving, in theverification apparatus in response to the first IMSI query, the mobilesubscriber identity number associated with the mobile telephone numberin the home location register; and wherein the storing comprisesstoring, as the corresponding mobile subscriber identity number, themobile subscriber identity number received in response to the first IMSIquery. By this aspect is achieved that registering of a mobile telephonenumber in a verification apparatus can conveniently be performed.

The method may comprise sending a verification response indicative ofthe result of the comparison. In one embodiment, the verificationresponse comprises an indication of whether or not the stored mobilesubscriber identity number and the received mobile subscriber identitynumber have been issued by the same mobile network operator. Suchindication could for example be given only in scenarios where thecomparison shows that the received mobile subscriber identity numberdoes not correspond to the stored mobile subscriber identity number.

The verification apparatus could for example be included in anapplication server arranged to provide a third party service whichutilizes the messaging-or-positioning service. In this implementation,the request for verification is advantageously generated by theapplication server; and the initiating advantageously comprises theapplication server sending a request for performance of themessaging-or-positioning service.

In another embodiment the verification apparatus could for example beincluded in an application server operating as a broker node of servicesin a communications system. In this implementation, the verificationrequest could be received from an application server arranged to providea third party service which utilizes the messaging-or-positioningservice; the initiating comprises the broker node performing theservice, or sending a request for performance of themessaging-or-positioning service to a mobile radio communicationsnetwork in the communications system, or sending a verification responseindicative of the result of the comparison to the application server.

In an embodiment wherein the messaging-or-positioning service forms partof a third party service, the method could further comprise sending amessage to the mobile telephone number via the mobile radiocommunications system if the comparison shows that the received mobilesubscriber identity number does not correspond to the stored mobilesubscriber identity number, the message indicating that delivery of thethird party services has been terminated in relation to the telephonenumber. Such a message could for example be sent from the verificationapparatus, or from application server providing the third party service.By sending such a message, it can be ensured that a mobile subscriber,who has kept his mobile telephone number but for whom the subscriptionhas been altered, will be notified when a third party service isterminated due to the changes made to his subscription. The mobilesubscriber could then take suitable action to re-activate the thirdparty service, if desired.

An embodiment provides a method for requesting amessaging-or-positioning service in a mobile radio communicationssystem. This method comprises sending, from an application server to averification apparatus, a request for registering a mobile telephonenumber in the verification apparatus, wherein the request comprises anindication of the mobile telephone number. This method further comprisessending, from the application server to the verification apparatus, arequest for verification of the mobile telephone number in order todetermine whether a messaging-or-positioning service in a mobile radiocommunications system should be performed in relation to the mobiletelephone number.

The invention also relates to a verification apparatus for verificationof a mobile telephone number in order to determine whether amessaging-or-positioning service in a mobile radio communications systemshould be performed in relation to the mobile telephone number is alsoprovided. In one embodiment, the verification apparatus comprises: adatabase for storing of a mobile telephone number and an associatedmobile subscriber identity number; a first input arranged to receive arequest for verification of a mobile telephone number; an outputarranged to send an IMSI query in relation to a mobile telephone number,the IMSI query requesting a mobile subscriber identity number registeredin association with the mobile telephone number in a home locationregister; a second input arranged to receive a mobile subscriberidentity number in response to an IMSI query in relation to a mobiletelephone number; and processing means arranged to compare a mobilesubscriber identity number stored in the database in relation to amobile telephone number with a mobile subscriber identity numberreceived in response to an IMSI query in relation to the mobiletelephone number, and to initiate the performance of themessaging-or-positioning service in relation to the mobile telephonenumber if the comparison shows that the received mobile subscriberidentity number corresponds to the stored mobile subscriber identitynumber.

Furthermore the invention also relates to an application server arrangedto provide a third party service which utilizes amessaging-or-positioning service is also provided. The applicationserver comprises: an output arranged to send, to a verificationapparatus, a request for registering a mobile telephone number in theverification apparatus, the request for registering comprising anindication of the mobile telephone number. The output is furtherarranged to send, to the verification apparatus, a request forverification of the mobile telephone number in order to determinewhether a messaging-or-positioning service in a mobile radiocommunications system should be performed in relation to the mobiletelephone number. In one embodiment, the application server comprisesthe verification apparatus.

The application server may comprise an input arranged to receive averification response indicative of the result of the verification of amobile telephone number; a third party service customer informationregister; and processing means arranged to store, in the third partyservice customer information register as part of third party servicesubscription information relating to a telephone number, if averification response received by the output indicates that theverification result in relation to the mobile telephone number wasnegative, information indicating that a verification result is negative.

Moreover, the invention also relates to a computer program forverification of a mobile telephone number in order to determine whethera messaging-or-positioning service in a mobile radio communicationssystem should be performed in relation to the mobile telephone number isalso provided. The computer program comprises computer program codeportions which, when run on a verification apparatus, causes theverification apparatus to: store a mobile telephone number and acorresponding mobile subscriber identity number in a database of theverification apparatus; send, in response to a verification request, anIMSI query requesting a mobile subscriber identity number registered inassociation with the mobile telephone number in a home locationregister; retrieve, from the database, the stored mobile subscriberidentity number; compare the stored mobile subscriber identity numberand a mobile subscriber identity number received in response to the IMSIquery; and initiate the performance of the messaging-or-positioningservice in relation to the mobile telephone number if the comparisonshows that the received mobile subscriber identity number corresponds tothe stored mobile subscriber identity number.

The invention also relates to a computer program product comprisingcomputer readable means on which the computer program is stored.

Further aspects of the invention are set out in the following detaileddescription and in the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a mobile radio communicationssystem comprising a mobile radio communications network.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method forverification of a mobile telephone number.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment wherein a verification apparatus cancommunicate with HLRs via a gateway.

FIG. 4 is a signalling diagram illustrating an embodiment of a methodfor registering a mobile telephone number with a verification apparatus.

FIG. 5 a is a signaling diagram illustrating a signalling scenario in anembodiment of a method for verifying a mobile telephone number.

FIG. 5 b is a signalling diagram illustrating a signalling scenario inan embodiment of a method for verifying a mobile telephone number.

FIG. 5 c is a signalling diagram illustrating a signalling scenario inan embodiment of a method for verifying a mobile telephone number.

FIG. 5 d is a signalling diagram illustrating a signalling scenario inan embodiment of a method for verifying a mobile telephone number.

FIG. 6 a is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a verificationapparatus.

FIG. 6 b is a schematic illustration showing another aspect of theembodiment of the verification apparatus illustrated in FIG. 6 a.

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a third party application serverarranged to request verification of a mobile telephone number.

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of a communications system comprisinga broker node including a verification apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An example of a mobile radio communications system 100 is schematicallyillustrated in FIG. 1. Mobile radio communications system 100 comprisesat least one mobile radio communications network 103, which hereinafterin the description will be called network 103 for short. A mobile radiocommunications network 103 is typically connected to other networks 104,such as for example Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTNs), othermobile radio networks, the Internet, etc.

Network 103 comprises a plurality of radio base stations 105 providingmobile radio communication to mobile stations (MSs) 110 over an airinterface. An MS 110 could for example be a mobile telephone, a radioequipped laptop computer, a handheld computer, or any other radiocapable device. A radio base station 105 is connected, often via a basestation controlling node, to a Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) 115, whichinter alia may provide routing and mobility management of communicationsessions to and from MS:s 110. Typically, a plurality of radio basestations 105 are connected to each MSC 115.

Network 103 of FIG. 1 furthermore comprises a Home Location Register(HLR) 120, which comprises a central database containing details of thesubscriptions to mobile services in the network 103. In particular, theHLR 120 stores, for each subscription, a mobile subscriber identitynumber, often referred to as the International Mobile SubscriberIdentity (IMSI), and at least one telephone number assigned to thesubscription, such telephone number often referred to as an MSISDN ofthe subscription. The mobile subscriber identity number and mobiletelephone number are typically also stored on a Subscriber IdentityModule (SIM) card (not shown) used in conjunction with an MS 110 toidentify the mobile subscription on the MS 110. The terms IMSI andMSISDN are here, whenever mentioned in the description and figures, usedto refer to mobile subscriber identity numbers and mobile telephonenumbers in general, including when referring to mobile subscriberidentity numbers and mobile telephone numbers in standards for mobileradio communications wherein a different terminology is used.

Via for example the Internet or other networks 104, a service providerwhich is external to the network 103 could utilize a messaging serviceand/or a positioning service as part of a service provided to a customerwho is also a subscriber to services in a mobile radio communicationsnetwork. In the following, the term messaging-or-positioning servicewill be used when referring to a service which is performed with thehelp of a mobile radio communications network in relation to a mobiletelephone number, where the service is either a messaging service or apositioning service. A messaging-or-positioning service could forexample be a Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service(MMS), an e-mail service, a data stream service, a push notificationservice, a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) service, a positioningservice based on triangulation, a positioning service based onidentification of the cell wherein the mobile subscription, to which themobile telephone number is associated, is currently active, etc.

A service provider external to the network 103 will hereinafter bereferred to as a third party service provider, and a service provided bya third party service provider will be referred to as a third partyservice. A third party service could for example be an off-portalservice, i.e. a service which is not provided via a portal run by theoperator of the network 103 in which the receiver of the third-partyservice is registered, but is provided from the third-party serviceprovider directly. A third party service provider could for example be amobile network operator providing services to mobile subscribers innetworks 103 operated by other operators, or a service provider whichdoes not operate any mobile radio communications network, but a serviceprovider that utilizes the network 103 to communicate with the MS 110.

Third-party services wherein a messaging-or-positioning service isutilized could for example be: a service provided by a bank, wherein anaccount statement or other information is sent to an account holder viaSMS or other messaging service; a security enhancement service providedby a company running a webpage where its customers hold accounts,wherein a pin-code of an account may be sent via SMS or other messagingservice to a mobile subscription of the account holder; a cash-machineservice wherein cash machine fraud is prevented by checking that thelocation of a bank account holder coincides with that of the cashmachine by comparing the position of the bank account holder's mobilesubscription with a stored position of the cash-machine (ATM) beforeallowing the withdrawal of money, etc. There are numerous other ways inwhich messaging-or-positioning services could be utilized by third partyservices.

In many third party services which utilize messaging-or-positioningservices, the privacy of the service users, and/or the secrecy ofinformation which is provided to or by the service, is of importance.For example, a company running a webpage might not want to send apin-code via SMS to an account holder if there is a considerable riskthat the SMS will end up in the wrong hands; a cash-machine operator maynot want to perform a positioning of a mobile subscription, in the cashmachine example given above, if there is a considerable risk that themobile subscription does not belong to the bank account holder but couldbelong to a person who has not approved of being positioned, etc.

In order to enjoy a third party service utilizing amessaging-or-positioning service, a customer of the third party servicewill often have to provide the third party service provider with themobile telephone number of his or her mobile subscription. Since amobile telephone number is a number which is unique to a subscription,the mobile telephone number can be used as an identifier of a mobilesubscription of a customer of a third party service provider. However,when a mobile subscription is terminated, the mobile telephone number isoften transferred to a new subscription. Unless the customer to thethird party service informs the third party service provider that he/sheis no longer in possession of the mobile telephone number, amessaging-or-positioning service forming part of the third partyservice, such as the sending of an SMS or positioning of the mobilesubscription, will be performed in relation to the wrong person. It istrue that some mobile network operators have policies defining a timespan within which a mobile telephone number of a terminated subscriptioncannot be re-used for a new subscription. However, if the third partyservice provider is never informed of the termination of the mobilesubscription, such time span will only temporarily prevent that themessaging-or-positioning service utilizing part of the third partyservice is performed in relation to the wrong person.

As mentioned above, a mobile radio communications network typically usesa mobile subscriber identity number for identification of a mobilesubscription. The network 103 stores the mobile subscriber identitynumber and the mobile telephone number in the HLR 120. According to anaspect of the invention, a verification apparatus is provided, wherebythe mobile subscriber identity number associated with a mobile telephonenumber may be verified in order to avoid that a third party service isdelivered in relation to the wrong person. By storing the mobiletelephone number and corresponding mobile subscriber identity number ofa customer to a third party service, and by checking that the mobilesubscriber identity number which is associated with the mobile telephonenumber has not been changed before delivery of the third party serviceto the customer, any transfer of the mobile telephone number to a newsubscription that has occurred since the mobile telephone number wasstored will be detected, since when transferring a mobile telephonenumber to a new subscription, the mobile subscriber identity numberassociated with the mobile telephone number will be changed.

An embodiment of a method performed by a verification apparatus isschematically illustrated in FIG. 2. By means of the method of FIG. 2,it may be determined whether a messaging-or-positioning service shouldbe performed in relation to a particular mobile telephone number. Instep 200, a mobile telephone number, as well as the mobile subscriberidentity number associated with the mobile telephone number in thenetwork 103 wherein the mobile subscription is held, is stored in adatabase of the verification apparatus. In step 205, a request forverification of the mobile telephone number is received, for examplefrom an application server of a third party service provider. Theverification request is sent by the third party application server inrelation to a messaging-or-positioning service to be performed inrelation to the mobile telephone number, and the result of theverification will be used in determining whether or not themessaging-or-positioning service should be performed.

In step 210, an IMSI query is transmitted towards the HLR 210 in whichthe subscription associated with the mobile telephone number isregistered. The IMSI query sent in step 210 comprises information on themobile telephone number, and is a request for information on the mobilesubscriber identity number associated with the mobile telephone numberin the HLR 210 in which the mobile telephone number is registered. Aswill be further discussed in relation to FIG. 3 below, the IMSI querymay for example be sent via a gateway of the network 103. If the IMSIquery sent by the verification apparatus is on a format which isincompatible with the transmission protocol used by the HLR 210, theIMSI query sent by the verification apparatus could for example triggersuch gateway, or another node, to send a corresponding IMSI query on aformat compatible with the transmission protocol used by the HLR 120.

In step 215, an IMSI query response is received from the HLR, where theIMSI query response comprises the mobile subscriber identity number orinformation indicative of the mobile subscriber identity numberassociated with the mobile telephone number in the HLR. In step 220, themobile subscriber identity number which is received in the IMSI queryresponse is compared to the mobile subscriber identity number which wasstored in association with the mobile telephone number in step 200. Ifthe received mobile subscriber identity number corresponds to the storedmobile subscriber identity number, then it may be concluded that themobile telephone number is still in use by the same subscriber as at thetime of performing step 200 (the received mobile subscriber identitynumber and the stored mobile subscriber identity numbers may beexpressed in different formats, and an exact identity is therefore notnecessarily required for correspondence between the two).

If the received mobile subscriber identity number corresponds to thestored mobile subscriber identity number, then step 225 is entered,wherein the messaging-or-positioning service is initiated in relation tothe mobile telephone number. If, on the other hand, the verificationresult obtained in step 220 is negative, i.e. if the received mobilesubscriber identity number does not correspond to the stored mobilesubscriber identity number, the messaging-or-positioning service is notinitiated. Instead, step 230 is entered, wherein a verification responseis sent to the node from which the verification request was received instep 205, the verification response comprising an indication of thenegative verification result.

The initiation of the requested service of step 225 could be performedin different ways. The initiating could for example include sending averification response to the requester of the verification, where theverification response comprises an indication indicating that the resultof the verification was positive, i.e. that the received mobilesubscriber number was found to correspond to the stored mobilesubscriber number. Upon receipt of the positive verification response,the requester of the verification could then send a request forperformance of the messaging-or-positioning service to a network 103. Ifthe verification request received in step 205 is included in a requestfor the messaging-or-positioning service, the initiating of therequested service could include sending, to a mobile radiocommunications network, a request for performance of themessaging-or-positioning service in relation to the telephone number. Ifthe verification apparatus can perform at least parts of the service,the initiating could include performing those parts of the service.

A request for performance of the messaging-or-positioning service sentto a network 103 could be sent in accordance with a proprietaryprotocol, or a standardized protocol could be used for the transmissionof the request for performance. For example, if themessaging-or-positioning service is the SMS, the Short MessagePeer-to-peer Protocol (SMPP) could be used for the request forperformance of the messaging-or-positioning service. Other protocols mayalternatively be used. The network 103, to which a request forperformance is sent, could be any network 103: The network 103 in whichthe mobile telephone number is registered, or a different network 103.

As mentioned above, a verification response, comprising informationbased on the result of the comparison performed in step 220, could betransmitted to the sender of the request for verification of the mobiletelephone number also when the verification result is positive. Thesending of a verification response could be omitted, if desired, forexample if an acknowledgement in relation to whether or not therequested messaging-or-positioning service has been successfullyperformed will be sent to the requester of the verification.

A result of the verification could be registered in the verificationapparatus in association with the stored mobile telephone number andassociated mobile subscriber identity number, if desired. For example, aresult of the comparison could be stored; the time of the verificationcould be stored, etc.

A verification response, to be transmitted by the verification apparatusto the requester of the verification, could include information onwhether the mobile subscriber identity number, stored by theverification apparatus in relation to the mobile telephone number,corresponds to the mobile subscriber identity number received from theHLR, in which the mobile telephone number is registered. Suchinformation could for example be indicated by means of a flag in theverification response message, or in any other way. Depending on whichinformation is received by the verification apparatus in the IMSI queryresponse, the verification response message could include furtherinformation. For example, if the IMSI query response includesinformation on in which network 103 the mobile telephone number iscurrently registered, the verification response could includeinformation indicative of whether the mobile telephone number isregistered in the same network 103 as when the mobile telephone numberwas stored in step 200 by the verification apparatus, or in a differentnetwork. Such information could be included as a flag in theverification response message, or as an indicator which could take morethan two values. For example, a 2-bit indicator could be used, whichcould for example take one of the following values: 1) the mobilesubscriber identity number has not changed; 2) the mobile subscriberidentity number has changed within the same network; 3) the mobilesubscriber identity number has changed and the mobile network haschanged; 4) the mobile telephone number is not in use. Alternatively,the verification response message could include an identity of thenetwork 103 with which the mobile telephone number is currently stored.From information relating to whether the network 103 with which themobile telephone number is registered has changed, conclusions may bedrawn regarding whether it is likely that the mobile telephone number isnow in use by a different subscriber in the same network 103, or whetherthe possessor of the mobile telephone number has moved his/hersubscription to a new network. Other information could also be providedin a verification response message, such as for example information onin which network the mobile subscription is currently active.

When the messaging-or-positioning service forms part of a third partyservice, a message could be sent to the mobile telephone number inresponse to a negative verification result, if desired, the messageinforming the subscriber in possession of the mobile telephone numberthat the third party service will be terminated in relation to themobile telephone number. This can be useful, since there are situationswhere the mobile subscriber identity number is changed although themobile telephone number is still in use by the same person. For example,if a user of a mobile telephone number decides to move his mobilesubscription to a different network 103, or if he has requested a newSIM-card in order to access different services provided by his network103, the mobile subscriber identity numbers is typically changed. Suchmessage could for example be sent to the mobile telephone number by thethird party application server, or by the verification apparatus.

The method illustrated in FIG. 2 could be implemented in relation to amobile subscription in a network 103 operating according to anystandard, such as for example the Global System for Mobilecommunications (GSM) standard, the Universal Mobile TelecommunicationsSystem (UMTS) standard, the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, etc. Theflowchart of FIG. 2 relates to a single mobile telephone number.However, a verification apparatus operating according to the methodillustrated by FIG. 2 could be used for the verification of a pluralityof mobile telephone numbers, registered in the same or differentnetworks 103, where different networks 103 could be of the same ordifferent standards. Step 200 would typically be performed once permobile subscription, whereas steps 205-220 would typically be performedin relation to a mobile telephone number any time a third party serviceprovider requests verification of the mobile telephone number. Hence, aconsiderable period of time may lapse between the performance of step200 and steps 205-230 in relation to the same mobile telephone number.

A message type which already exists in a mobile telephony standard couldfor example be used for the IMSI query sent in step 210. Examples ofalready existing message types which could be used are the MobileApplication Part Send Routing Information (MAP SRI) message type whichis specified in ETSI Technical Specification (TS) 129 002 v.8.9.0 orETSI TS 100 974 v.7.15.0 (for example SRI for SMS, or other SRImessages, such as an SRI message for use by an MSC 115 to requestrouting information from an HLR 120), the send IMSI message type, or anyanother suitable message type providing an HLR look-up possibility. Inan MAP SRI request, the mobile telephone number is included, and in anMAP SRI response, the associated mobile subscriber identity number isincluded. MAP signalling is typically performed via the SS7 signallingnetwork which is used for signalling between different nodes in mobileradio communications networks 103 and in other telephony networks.Alternatively, a new message type could be specified to be used as theIMSI query.

Oftentimes, a verification apparatus for performing the method of FIG. 2does not have direct access to the SS7 signalling network, or othermeans for communicating directly with the HLR 120 of the network 103wherein a mobile telephone number is registered. In such cases, theverification apparatus could for example be connected to an applicationserver or gateway 310, which could for example be an application serveror a gateway 310 of a PLMN or of a mobile radio communications network103, for example a gateway MSC. This is illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein averification apparatus 300 is connected to gateway 310 and to anApplication Server (AS) 305 of a third party service provider,hereinafter referred to as third party application server 305 or AS 305for short. The gateway 310 is capable of communicating with at leastone, and typically a plurality of HLRs 120, wherein an HLR 120 storesvalues of mobile subscriber identity numbers associated with mobiletelephone numbers currently registered in a network 103. In this set-up,the IMSI query of step 210 of FIG. 2 could for example be a proprietarymessage instructing the gateway 310 to send a suitable IMSI querymessage to the relevant HLR 120 for the mobile subscriber identitynumber associated with the mobile telephone number included in the IMSIquery. The gateway 310, or another node instructed to do so by thegateway 310, could then send a suitable IMSI query message compatiblewith the relevant HLR 120, for example a MAP SRI message or othermessage sent as discussed above, to the relevant HLR 120. Alternatively,the IMSI query sent by the verification apparatus 300 could be on theformat compatible with the relevant HLR 120. In a network scenario wherethe verification apparatus is utilizing an HLR 120 in the form of an HSSin an IMS core network, the verification apparatus could contact the HSSvia the gateway 310 in the form of an I-CSCF (Interrogating Call SessionControl Function), which communicate with the HSS using the protocolDIAMETER.

FIG. 4 is a signalling diagram schematically illustrating signallingthat may be performed in relation to step 200 of FIG. 2. The signallingof FIG. 4 illustrates a scenario wherein the AS 305 instructs theverification apparatus 300 to register a mobile telephone number inrelation to which future verification may be requested by the AS 305. ARegister MSISDN Command 400 is transmitted from the AS 305 to theverification apparatus 300, the Register MSISDN Command 400 comprising amobile telephone number to be registered by the verification apparatus300. Upon receipt of the Register MSISDN Command 400, the verificationapparatus 300 sends an IMSI query 405 towards the HLR in which themobile subscription associated with the mobile telephone number isregistered, the IMSI query 405 including the mobile telephone number.The IMSI query 405 will be received by the HLR 120 of the network 103 inwhich the mobile telephone number is registered, possibly via a gateway310 as discussed in relation to FIG. 3. An IMSI query response 410 isthen received by the verification apparatus 300 from the HLR 120, theIMSI query response 410 including the mobile subscriber identity numberassociated with the mobile telephone number. As mentioned above, theIMSI query response may include further information relating to thesubscription associated with the mobile telephone number, such as forexample information on in which network 103 the mobile telephone numberis registered, and in which network the mobile subscription is currentlyactive.

Upon receipt of the IMSI query response 410, the verification apparatus300 stores the mobile telephone number and its associated mobilesubscriber identity number in a database. Alternatively, the mobiletelephone number could be stored upon receipt of the Register MSISDNCommand 400, and the associated mobile subscriber identity number couldbe stored upon receipt of the IMSI query response 410.

If desired, a Register MSISDN ACK 415 could then be sent to the AS 305,indicating that the requested registering of the mobile telephone numberhas been completed.

In FIG. 4, storing of a mobile telephone number and associated mobilesubscriber identity number is initiated by the receipt of a registerMSISDN command message 400 from the AS 305. In this scenario, the mobiletelephone number could for example have been manually or automaticallyregistered for a service in the AS 305 prior to the AS 305 sending themessage 400. The storing of the mobile telephone number and associatedmobile subscriber identity number in the verification apparatus 300could alternatively be initiated in other ways, such as for example bymanually entering a mobile telephone number in a user interface of theverification apparatus 300.

FIGS. 5 a-5 d are signalling diagrams illustrating different scenariosand embodiments of the invention, wherein it is assumed that an entrycomprising a mobile telephone number and associated mobile subscriberidentity number has already been stored in a verification apparatus 300(cf. step 200 of FIG. 2 and FIG. 4). In FIG. 5 a, a verificationapparatus 300 receives a Verify MSISDN Request message 500 from the AS305, the Verify MSISDN Request message 500 including a mobile telephonenumber to be verified. The receipt of the Verify MSISDN Request message500 triggers the verification apparatus 300 to send an IMSI query 505which includes the mobile telephone number, the IMSI query 505 beingreceived by the HLR 120 of the network 103 in which the mobile telephonenumber is registered. The verification apparatus 300 then receives anIMSI query response 510 from the HLR 120, the IMSI query response 510including the mobile subscriber identity number associated with themobile telephone number in the HLR 120.

Upon receipt of the IMSI query response 510, the verification apparatus300 performs step 220 of FIG. 2, wherein the mobile subscriber identitynumber received in IMSI query response 510 is compared to the mobilesubscriber identity number stored in association with the mobiletelephone number in the verification apparatus 300 (cf. step 200 ofFIGS. 2 an 4). In the scenario illustrated in FIG. 5 a, the receivedmobile subscriber identity number corresponds to the stored mobilesubscriber identity number, and the mobile telephone number is thusverified. Initiation of the messaging-or-positioning service is thenperformed by the verification apparatus by sending a positiveverification response to the AS 305, wherein the positive verificationresponse 515 includes an indication that the verification wassuccessful, e.g. in the form of a value of a flag or other parameter inverification response message 515.

FIG. 5 b illustrates a scenario similar to that of FIG. 5 a, but whereinthe comparison performed in step 220 shows that the stored mobilesubscriber identity number does not correspond to the mobile subscriberidentity number received in the IMSI query response 505. A verificationresponse 515 is sent by the verification apparatus 300 to the AS 305,the verification response 515 including an indication that the storedmobile subscriber identity number does not correspond to the onecurrently associated with the mobile telephone number, i.e. that theverification result is negative. As discussed above, further informationcould be included in a verification response 515.

In the embodiment of the method illustrated in FIG. 5 b, the AS 305registers, in a customer database, that a negative verification responsehas been received in relation to the mobile telephone number, see event516. A message 517 is then sent to the mobile telephone number,informing the user of the mobile telephone number that the third partyservice in relation to which the telephone number verification wasperformed has been terminated for the mobile telephone number. Suchmessage 517 could alternatively be sent by the AS 305 requesting amobile radio communications network 100 to deliver the message 517 byuse of a proprietary or standardized protocol, cf. the discussion inrelation to step 225 above, or the sending o such message 517 could beomitted.

As mentioned above, a request for verification of a mobile telephonenumber could be included in the request for a messaging-or-positioningservice. FIG. 5 c illustrates a scenario wherein a request forverification of a mobile telephone number is included in a request fordelivery of a particular message to a subscriber in a mobile radiocommunications network 103, by means of for example SMS, MSM, e-mail,WAP, or any other message delivery service. A Deliver Message Requestmessage 520 is received by a verification apparatus 300 from a serviceprovider 305. The Deliver Message Request 520 includes information on amobile telephone number to which the message should be delivered, aswell as information to be included in the message. Upon receipt of theDeliver Message Request 520, the verification apparatus 300 transmits anIMSI query 505, receives an IMSI query response 510 and performs acomparison 220 of the stored and received mobile subscriber identitynumber as described in relation to FIG. 5 a. In the scenario of FIG. 5c, the comparison shows that the mobile subscriber identity numberreceived in the IMSI query 510 corresponds to that stored in theverification apparatus 300, and the mobile telephone number can thus beverified. Hence, a message 525, including the information to be to beincluded received in the Deliver Message Request 520, is transmitted tothe mobile station 110 associated with the mobile telephone number. Themessage 525 could for example be sent by the verification apparatus 300requesting a mobile radio communications network 103 to deliver themessage 517 by use of a proprietary or standardized protocol, cf. thediscussion in relation to step 225 above.

A Deliver Message ACK 530 is then transmitted by the verificationapparatus 300 to the AS 305 in FIG. 5 c. Such Deliver Message ACK 530could alternatively be transmitted prior to the transmission of message525 to the mobile subscription as a verification response message 515,or transmitted in response to a delivery ACK received in response to thetransmission of message 525, or it could be omitted.

FIG. 5 d illustrates a scenario wherein a request for verification of amobile telephone number is included in a request for positioning of themobile subscription associated with the mobile telephone number. Averification apparatus 300 receives a Positioning Request 535, thePositioning Request 535 including information on the telephone number ofthe mobile subscription to be positioned. Upon receipt of thePositioning Request 535, the verification apparatus 300 transmits anIMSI query 505, receives an IMSI query response 510 and performs acomparison 220 of the stored and received mobile subscriber identitynumbers as described in relation to FIG. 5 a. In the scenario of FIG. 5d, the comparison shows that the mobile subscriber identity numberreceived in the IMSI query 510 corresponds to that stored in theverification apparatus 300, and the mobile telephone number can thus beverified. Hence, the verification apparatus 300 initiates positioning ofthe mobile subscription associated with the mobile telephone number.Such positioning could for example be initiated by the verificationapparatus 300 requesting a mobile radio network 100 to performpositioning by means of triangulation, or by the verification apparatusrequesting the mobile radio network 100 to send a cell-ID of the cellwherein the mobile station associated with the mobile telephone numberis currently active, or in any other way suitable for the resolutionrequirements on the requested positioning. When the position of themobile subscription is known to the verification apparatus 300, aPositioning Response message 545, including an indication of theposition of the mobile subscription associated with the mobile telephonenumber, is sent to the AS 305. In the example given above wherein theposition of a mobile subscription is used in order to avoid fraud atcash machines, a table listing the identity of the cell(s) covering thelocation of each cash machine operated by the third party serviceprovider, or a table listing the geographical position of all such cashmachines, could for example be kept by the verification apparatus 300 orthe AS 305. A comparison between the location of the mobile subscriptionobtained by the positioning, and the location of the cash machine wherea cash card is used for withdrawal of money could then be performed, thecash card being registered with the same cash machine customer as themobile telephone number. If such table listing positions of cashmachines is kept by the verification apparatus 300, a positioningrequest message 535 could in this example advantageously include anindication of the cash machine to which the positioning request 535relates, and the positioning result 517 could for example include a flagindicating whether or not the mobile station 110 associated with themobile telephone number is currently located in the vicinity of thiscash machine.

If the comparison 220 performed in the scenarios of FIG. 5 c or 5 d hadshown that the received mobile subscriber identity number had notcorresponded to that stored by the verification apparatus 300 in step200, the transmission of message 525 (FIG. 5 c) or the positioning (FIG.5 d) would typically not have been performed. As discussed above inrelation to FIG. 2, an indication that the subscription associated withthe mobile telephone number has changed since the mobile telephonenumber was registered with the verification apparatus 300 couldadvantageously be transmitted to the AS 305 in a verification response515, or in a positioning response 545/deliver message ACK 530.

In one implementation, a particular service request type received by averification apparatus from an application server, such as a PositioningRequest 535 or a Deliver Message Request 520, could invoke a mobiletelephone number verification by default. In an alternativeimplementation, a service request could include a flag, or otherindication, indicating to the verification apparatus 300 whether or nota verification of the mobile telephone number is requested in relationto the delivery of the requested messaging-or-positioning service.

The IMSI query 405 and the IMSI query response 410 of FIGS. 5 a-5 dcould advantageously be of the same message type as the IMSI query 405and the IMSI query response 410 of FIG. 4, although different messagetypes could alternatively be used.

Messages transmitted between a verification apparatus 300 and a thirdparty service provider 305, such as a register MSISDN request 400, averify MSISDN request 500, a verification response 515, a positioningrequest 535, etc, could for example be proprietary messages. If theverification apparatus 300 and the third party AS 305 are implemented inthe same node, such messages could be internal messages.

The signalling scenarios illustrated in FIGS. 5 a-5 d are examples only,and the verification method illustrated by FIG. 2 could be implementedin a number of different third party service scenarios and in relationto a number of messaging-or-positioning services.

In FIG. 6 a, an example of the verification apparatus 300 isschematically illustrated. Verification apparatus 300 of FIG. 6 acomprises a verification handling mechanism 600 including a comparisonmechanism 605. Verification apparatus 300 further comprises a database615 in which entries comprising mobile telephone numbers and associatedmobile subscriber identity numbers may be stored. The verificationhandling mechanism 600 is connected to the database 615 so that theverification handling mechanism 600 can access data stored in database615. The verification handling mechanism 600 is furthermore connected toan interface 620 for communication with at least one AS 305 and to aninterface 625 for communication with HLRs 120 (possibly via a gateway310 as illustrated in FIG. 3). The interfaces 620 and 625 may be thesame, or different, physical interfaces, and they can typically serve asboth signal inputs and signal outputs.

Verification handling mechanism 600 of FIG. 6 a is arranged to receive aRegister MSISDN Command 400 from an applications server 305 viainterface 620 and to instruct interface 625 to send an IMSI query 405 inresponse to receipt of a Register MSISDN Command 400. Verificationhandling mechanism 600 of FIG. 6 a is furthermore arranged to receive anIMSI query response 410 via interface 625, and to instruct database 610to store, in the database 615, a mobile telephone number received in aRegister MSISDN Command 400 and an associated mobile subscriber identitynumber received in an IMSI query response 410. Furthermore, verificationhandling mechanism 600 is arranged to receive a Verify MSISDN Request500 in relation to a mobile telephone number from the AS 305 viainterface 620, and to instruct interface 625 to send an IMSI query 505in response to receipt of a Verify MSISDN Request 500. Verificationhandling mechanism 600 is furthermore arranged to receive an IMSI queryresponse 510 via interface 625; to extract a received mobile subscriberidentity number from a received IMSI query response 510; to retrieve astored mobile subscriber identity number from database 615; and todeliver a received mobile subscriber identity number and a stored mobilesubscriber identity number associated with the same mobile telephonenumber to the comparison mechanism 605. The comparison mechanism 605 isarranged to compare the received mobile subscriber identity number tothe stored mobile subscriber identity number, and to deliver acomparison result. The verification handling mechanism 600 couldfurthermore be arranged to send a Verification Response 515 to the AS305.

The verification apparatus 300 of FIG. 6 a is given as an example only,and the verification apparatus 300 could be implemented in other ways.For example, instead of, or in addition to, being arranged to receive arequest for registering of a mobile telephone number from the AS 305 viainterface 620, the verification apparatus 300 could comprise a userinterface so that a request for registering of a telephone number couldbe entered manually. A verification apparatus 300 could furthermore bedistributed in a different manner, for example so that a verificationhandling mechanism 600 is arranged to perform some of the tasksdescribed above, while other entiti(es) are arranged to perform othersof the tasks described above. Moreover, the verification apparatus 300could be implemented in a physically distributed manner, so that forexample the database 615 and the verification handling mechanism 600, orparts of the verification handling mechanism 600, are located atdifferent geographical locations while operating as the same logicalapparatus.

The verification handling mechanism 600 and the database 615 of FIG. 6 acan be implemented by means of suitable software and hardware. Forexample, the database 615 could be a general purpose database, or adatabase developed especially for the verification apparatus 300. Thedatabase 615 could be compatible with Structured Query Language (SQL),or any other suitable language, for insertion and retrieval ofinformation from the database 615. The verification handling mechanism600 could for example be implemented by means of one or more generalpurpose processors, or one or more processors especially developed forthe verification apparatus 300, in combination with software forperforming verification of a mobile telephone number (cf. FIG. 2).

In FIG. 6 b, an alternative way of schematically illustrating theverification apparatus 300 of FIG. 6 a is shown. FIG. 6 b shows theverification apparatus 300 comprising processing means 630 connected toa computer program product 635 in the form of a memory, as well as tointerfaces 620 and 625. The memory comprises computer readable codemeans that stores a computer program 636, which when executed by theprocessing means 630 causes the verification apparatus 300 to performthe verification method as illustrated in FIG. 2. In other words, theverification handling mechanism 600 and its comparison mechanism 605 mayin this embodiment be implemented with the help of corresponding programmodules of the computer program 636. In the shown embodiment, thecomputer program product 635 also comprises the database 615, but inother embodiments the database 615 may be stored in a second memory (notshown) of the verification apparatus 300. The processing means 630 couldbe one or more processors—for example, one processor of processing meanscould be arranged to execute code relating to the database 615, andanother processor could be arranged to execute code relating to theverification handling mechanism 600, or the same processor could be usedfor executing the verification handling mechanism code and the databasecode. The computer program product 635 could be any type of non-volatilecomputer readable means, such as a hard drive, a flash memory, an EEPROM(electrically erasable programmable read-only memory) a DVD disc, a CDdisc, a USB memory, etc.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the AS 305 arranged to provide at least onethird party service to customers of a third party service provider. TheAS 305 comprising a verification request handling mechanism 700, amemory with a third party service customer information register 705 andan interface 710 for communicating to/from the verification apparatus300, wherein the verification request handling mechanism 700 isconnected to the interface 710 and the customer information register705. The customer information register 705 is comprised in a memory, forexample in a database, arranged to store information relating tocustomers of third party services, such information being for examplethe telephone number of a customer's mobile subscription, an operatorcode of the network 103 wherein the customer's mobile subscription isregistered, verification result information obtained from theverification apparatus 300 in relation to a customer, information onwhich services a customer is subscribing to, etc. The verificationrequest handling mechanism 700 is arranged to retrieve information fromthe customer information register 705, such as a mobile telephone numberto be verified; to send a request for registering of a mobile telephonenumber to a verification apparatus 300 via interface 710 (cf. theregister MSISDN command 400 of FIG. 4); and to send a verificationrequest to the verification apparatus 300 in order to determine whethera messaging-or-positioning service in a mobile radio communicationssystem should be performed in relation to a mobile telephone number (cf.the verify MSISDN request 500 of FIG. 5 a; the deliver message request520 of FIG. 5 c; and the positioning request 535 of FIG. 5 d). Theverification request handling mechanism 700 could furthermore bearranged to store information received from a verification apparatus viainterface 715 in the customer information register 705, such asinformation relating to whether or not a verification event has beensuccessful. The AS 305 could be implemented as a suitable combination ofhardware and software. The schematic illustration a verificationapparatus 300 shown in FIG. 6 b could be used also as a schematicillustration of an embodiment of the AS 305, which comprises processingmeans and memory means, wherein the memory means stores computer programcode portions which, when executed on the processing means, causes theAS 305 to send, to a verification apparatus 300, a request forregistering a mobile telephone number, as well as computer program codeportions which, when executed on the processing means, causes the AS 305to send, to the verification apparatus 300, a request for verificationof the mobile telephone number.

The verification apparatus 300 could for example be implemented as partof an application server. In FIGS. 3-5, the verification apparatus 300is illustrated as a separate node to the AS 305. However, theverification apparatus 300 may alternatively be implemented as part ofthe AS 305. If the verification apparatus 300 is part of the AS 305,then any message transmitted between the verification apparatus 300 andthe AS 305 could advantageously be an internal message (e.g. theRegister MSISDN Command 400, the Verify MSISDN Request 500; theVerification Response 505, etc). Interfaces 620 and 710 would then beinternal interfaces.

When a verification apparatus 300 is implemented in a node separate tothe AS 305, the verification apparatus 300 could for example serve aplurality of different third party application servers, belonging to thesame or different service providers. The verification apparatus 300could for example be implemented in an application server operating as abroker node of services in a communications system for different serviceproviders. Such a broker node could for example be arranged to performmessaging-or-positioning services in different mobile radio networks 103upon request from different AS:s 305. An example of a communicationssystem 800 comprising a broker node 805 arranged to provide access tomessaging-or-positioning services, provided in a plurality of differentmobile radio communications systems 103 j−1, 103 j, 103 j+1, to aplurality of different third party service providers, 305 i−1, 305 i and305 i+1, is schematically illustrated in FIG. 8. The communicationssystem 800 could include all or part of the mobile radio communicationssystem 100 shown in FIG. 1.

Although various aspects of the invention are set out in theaccompanying independent claims, other aspects of the invention includethe combination of any features presented in the above descriptionand/or in the accompanying claims, and not solely the combinationsexplicitly set out in the accompanying claims.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that the technology presentedherein is not limited to the embodiments disclosed in the accompanyingdrawings and the foregoing detailed description, which are presented forpurposes of illustration only, but it can be implemented in a number ofdifferent ways, and it is defined by the following claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for verification of a mobiletelephone number in order to determine whether amessaging-or-positioning service in a mobile radio communications systemshould be performed in relation to the mobile telephone number, themethod comprising: receiving, by a verification apparatus, a request toregister a mobile telephone number; registering, by the verificationapparatus in response to the request, the mobile telephone number,wherein the registering comprises: obtaining, from a home locationregister, a first mobile subscriber identity number corresponding to themobile telephone number, and then storing the mobile telephone numberand the corresponding first mobile subscriber identity number in adatabase of the verification apparatus; receiving, by the verificationapparatus from an application server, a request for verification of themobile telephone number; and verifying, by the verification apparatus inresponse to receiving the verification request, the mobile telephonenumber, wherein the verifying comprises: obtaining, from a home locationregister, a second mobile subscriber identity number registered inassociation with the mobile telephone number; and indicating, by theverification apparatus to the application server, whether the firstmobile subscriber identity number matches the second mobile subscriberidentity number.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the applicationserver is arranged to provide a third party service which utilizes themessaging-or-positioning service; the request for verification isgenerated by the application server arranged to provide the third partyservice; and the application server is arranged to provide the thirdparty service, in response to the indicating, by sending a request forperformance of the messaging-or-positioning service.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the application server operates as a broker node ofservices in a communications system; the application server is arrangedto provide a third party service which utilizes themessaging-or-positioning service; and the broker node performs theservice, or sends a request for performance of themessaging-or-positioning service to a mobile radio communicationsnetwork in the communications system, or sends a verification responseindicative of the result of the verifying to the application server. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein the indicating comprises: sending, fromthe verification apparatus, a verification response indicative ofwhether the first mobile subscriber identity number matches the secondmobile subscriber identity number.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein:the verification response comprises an indication of whether or not thefirst mobile subscriber identity number and the second mobile subscriberidentity number have been issued by the same mobile network operator. 6.The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging-or-positioning serviceforms part of a third party service, and the method further comprisessending a message to the mobile telephone number via the mobile radiocommunications system, the message indicating that delivery of the thirdparty service has been terminated, in response to determining that thefirst mobile subscriber identity number does not match the second mobilesubscriber identity number.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein theobtaining of the registering step or the obtaining of the verifying stepcomprises sending an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)query to a home location register.
 8. A verification apparatus forverification of a mobile telephone number in order to determine whethera messaging-or-positioning service in a mobile radio communicationssystem should be performed in relation to the mobile telephone number,the verification apparatus comprising: a database for storing of amobile telephone number and an associated mobile subscriber identitynumber; a processor; a memory coupled to the processor, wherein thememory stores one or more computer programs executable by the processorto implement: receiving a request to register a mobile telephone number;registering, in response to the request, the mobile telephone number,wherein the registering comprises: obtaining, from a home locationregister, a mobile subscriber identity number corresponding to themobile telephone number, and then storing the mobile telephone numberand the corresponding mobile subscriber identity number in the database;receiving, from an application server, a request for verification of themobile telephone number; verifying, in response to receiving theverification request, the mobile telephone number, wherein the verifyingcomprises: obtaining, from a home location register, a mobile subscriberidentity number registered in association with the mobile telephonenumber to be verified; and indicating, to the application server,whether the mobile subscriber identity number received in the verifyingmatches the mobile subscriber identity number stored in the registering.9. The verification apparatus of claim 8, wherein: the indicatingcomprises sending a verification response that includes an indication ofwhether or not the stored mobile subscriber identity number and thereceived mobile subscriber identity number have been issued by the samemobile network operator.
 10. The verification apparatus of claim 8,wherein: the obtaining, as part of the registering or as part of theverifying, comprises sending an International Mobile Subscriber Identity(IMSI) query to a home location register.
 11. The verification apparatusof claim 8, wherein the messaging-or-positioning service forms part of athird party service and the one or more computer programs are furtherexecutable send a message to a mobile telephone number, wherein themessage indicates that delivery of the third party service has beenterminated in relation to the mobile telephone number.
 12. Theapplication server operating as a broker node of services in thecommunications system, the broker node comprising the verificationapparatus of claim
 8. 13. A non-transitory computer program productcomprising computer readable storage storing a computer program forproviding a third party service which utilizes amessaging-or-positioning service, the computer program comprisingcomputer program code portions which, when run on an application server,causes the application server to: register a mobile telephone numberwith a verification apparatus, wherein the registering comprises sendinga registration request to the verification apparatus, the registrationrequest for registering comprising an indication of the mobile telephonenumber to be registered; and verify the mobile telephone numbersubsequent to the registering, wherein the verifying comprises: sending,to the verification apparatus, a request for verification of the mobiletelephone number, receiving an indication from the verificationapparatus of whether a mobile subscriber identity number correspondingto the mobile telephone number in a home location register at a time ofthe verifying matches a mobile subscriber identity number correspondingto the mobile telephone number in a home location register at a time ofthe registering; and determining, by the application server thatperformed the verifying, whether a messaging-or-positioning service in amobile radio communications system should be performed in relation tothe mobile telephone number, wherein the determining is dependent on theverifying.
 14. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 13,the computer program further comprising computer program code portionswhich, when run on an application server, causes the application serverto: receive a verification response indicative of the result of theverification of a mobile telephone number; and store, in a third partyservice customer information register in the application server, as partof a third party service subscription, a record of the indication.
 15. Anon-transitory computer program product comprising computer readablestorage storing a computer program for verification of a mobiletelephone number in order to determine whether amessaging-or-positioning service in a mobile radio communications systemshould be performed in relation to the mobile telephone number, thecomputer program comprising computer program code portions which, whenrun on a verification apparatus, causes the verification apparatus to:receive a request to register a mobile telephone number; register, inresponse to the request, the mobile telephone number, wherein theregistering comprises: obtaining, from a home location register, amobile subscriber identity number corresponding to the mobile telephonenumber, and then storing the mobile telephone number and a correspondingmobile subscriber identity number in the database of the verificationapparatus; verify, in response to receiving a verification request, themobile telephone number, wherein the verifying comprises: obtaining,from a home location register, a mobile subscriber identity numberregistered in association with the mobile telephone number in the homelocation register; determining whether the mobile subscriber identitynumber received in the verifying matches the mobile subscriber identitynumber stored in the registering; and initiate the performance of themessaging-or-positioning in response to determining that the mobilesubscriber identity number received in the verifying matches the mobilesubscriber identity number stored in the registering.
 16. Thenon-transitory computer program product of claim 15, wherein obtainingthe mobile subscriber identity number from the home location register,as part of the register operation, comprises sending an InternationalMobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) query requesting a mobile subscriberidentity number registered in association with the mobile telephonenumber in the home location register, the IMSI query comprising themobile telephone number.